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is the highest conception of a created mind; be ing incapable of ever arriving at abfolute infinitude or felf-exiftent perfection, either in the full adequate conception or poffeffion of it.

THE three creeds; in their inward ftructure, and in the ufage of our church regarding their place in the liturgy are plainly intended for three different ranks of chriftians, diftinguifh'd in the apoftolic writings by the names of Babes, the Faithful, the Perfect-faints. The like diftinction of ranks may be observed in almost every profeffion." Tradesmen must be apprentices, and work as journeymen, before they are fit to be mafters. Lawyers are students, and counfellors, before they are fit to be judges. And in academical education; the degrees of batchelors, and mafters of arts, precede that of doctors. But to return:

I. THE It. and lowest rank in the chriftian church, is that of the Babes in Chrift, that feed on milk, i, e. the firft elements of chriftian inftruction in the Apoftles-creed digefted for their use by their mother the church, during their continuance in the babe-like catechumen-ftate wherein this milk-like inftruction is, by frequent circulation thro' the whole fyftem or habit of life, to become the habitual law of life or living foul of the fyftem, as God himfelf terms the circling-blood, in respect of the ani、 mal-body, in his precepts to Noah (Gen. ix. 4.)

II. THE 2d rank, is that of the Faithful (Eph. i. í. Colof. i, 2.) i. e. the Agonistic chriftian warriors, who, by reafon of ufe or habitual practice in the elemental food of the catechumen-ftate juft now mention'd, have their fpiritual fenfes [by fome late writers term'd, the moral fenfe] exercised to dilcern both good and evil [Heb. v. 11-14].

III. THE 3d. rank, is that of the Perfect [Heb. v. 14. vi. 1-3] or the faints (eminently fo called): who have obtained a compleat victory over their fpiritual enemies, have the triumphant crown of

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chriftian liberty for their reward, and are fit to teach others [Heb. v. 12. 2 Cor. i. 3-12-15-17. John viii. 31-36].

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To the Faithful warriors of the 2d. rank, belongs the Nicene i e. victorous] creed [or creed of the conquerors] [Rev. vi. 2]. To the Saints, the Perfect faints; the Athanafian. To both, the participation of the facramental body and blood of Chrift, nourifhing and preferving the inward divine life by feeding fpiritually on the exemplary practice or works of Chrift's life [the folid food they are to digeft for themselves: Heb. v. 12-14], as well as drinking-in his doctrines, To the Catechumens or the ft. rank, belongs baptifmal purification of the outward habit of life, preparatory for the inward purification by the Holy-fpirit in the rank of the faithful.

THE Athanafian creed is exprefs'd in obfcure terms that the high or utmoft moral-perfection required in a perfect flate, may not ftagger the refolution of the young beginner in the regeneration-procefs or ftate of the faithful, who is to be led on, ftep by step, from lower to higher attainments in knowledge and a holy life [. e. in faith and practice]; from glory to glory, until he fhall appear before the God of Gods in Sion [2 Cor. ii. 6-8-18. Heb. xii. 22. Deut. x. 17. Pfal. cxxxvi. 2]. For the like reafon Chrift preached in parables St. Paul allotted ftrong meat to the Perfect, and milk to Babes and the providence of God fuits the degrees of Knowledge communicated to mankind in the feveral ages of the world, to the various ftates of mankind in thofe ages.

This is done by means of awaking or conferring new degrees or powers of the understanding, as the heart grows better [i. e. more inclin'd to o-, bey the will of God, and keep his commandments s John vii. 17]; and taking them away, as it grows worfe by abufing the powers already given for

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whofoever hath (Mat.Exii, 10-12-17), to him fhall be given, and he thall have more abundance (faith our bleffed Lord): but whosoever hath not, from him fhall be taken away even that he hath. Thus tho' the holy fcriptures contain the whole fyftem of Creation and Providence, and are in the hands of the church; yet they are fpiritually intelligible, only to fuch as have the key of David from the Holy-fpirit, and that in proportion to their capacities and neceffities (Rev. iii. 7. John xvi, 12– 14-16-25).

To proceed then with the Athanafian creed, i.e. the creed of an holy immortal or perfect chriftian

1. WHOSOEVER will be faved: before all things it is neceffary, that he hold the catholick faith [as an inftruction for practice; which must be blind and fervile, and therefore inconfiftent with the glorious liberty of the fons of God; if wanting the light of faith held forth myfteriously in this creed, to diftinguish between the perfect manumitted chriftians and the ranks preceding them, until they approach to the purity of heart belonging to the perfect-ftate which has the promife of feeing God (Mat. v. 8.) i. e. of clearly understanding the nature of the divine-life declared in this creed. And in proportion to the purity of heart, is the underftanding enlarged in the perception of divine truths] [John xiv. 1-6—9—13—16—21-24-26-31.]

2. WHICH faith [or moral fyftem of life] except every one do keep whole and undefiled [in exactly conforming his practice thereto; fo as to form fuitable habits of virtue and a Godlike life]: without doubt he fhall perish everlastingly [Rev. xxi. 27. xxii: 11–15].

3. AND the catholick faith [or form of life published as an univerfal law; that whofoever hopes to become a citizen of the heavenly Jerufalem, muft acquire a habit of exactly conforming his manners thereto] is this [that follows to the end of this crced]:

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creed] that we worship [by acknowledgingh is fupreme dominion, in conforming our lives and practice to his will and example] one God Lall-perfect and self-exiftent fole fount of perfection and blifs to others] in Trinity [as being paternally, in the Ift. perfon, living-goodnefs wife and powerful: filially, in the 2d. perfon, living-wifdom good and powerful: fpiritually, in the 3d. perlon, living-power good and wife or chariform-life]; and Trinity [as aforefaid,morally characterized in unity [harmoniously concurring in one uniform divine-life perfectly-happy, felf-fufficient, felf-exiftent and fubftantially one];

4. NEITHER confounding the [three] perfons [together; Father, Son and Holy-fpirit; or their reSpective offices in the divine-life, as juft now explain'd or diftinguifh'd]: nor dividing the fubftance Fand feparating the diftinct offices belonging to thefe perfonal characters; fo as to render them difcordant or regardless of union in one fubftantially uniform life].

5. FOR there is one person of the Father [as to his regiminal moral-character, being living-goodnels wife and powerful; begetting of knowledge, living-wifdom or good and powerful knowledge], another of the Son [as to his moral-character, being living-wildom or good and powerful knowledge filially expanfive of the knowledge of living-goodness wife and powerful]: and another of the Holy-ghoft [as to his moral character, being the chariform-life, i. e. living-charity or living-power good and wife, proceeding from both Father and Son, as now morally characterized, i, e. from fontal living-goodness and living-wisdom, duratively, i. e. filling the whole of duration with living-goodness and living-wifdom powerfully, as the Son filleth the whole of boundlessfpace with living-goodness and living-power wifely,and as the Father filleth the unity of neceffary felf-exiftent vigour with living-wisdom and living-power goodly.

6. BUT the Godhead [i. e. morally; the free fupreme dominion] of the Father, of the Son, and of

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the Holy-ghoft is all one [in this fubftantially united life]: the glory, equal [as being, each, of infinite worth, and abfolutely neceffary to fupreme perfection] the majefty [lupremacy of rightful-power over the whole divine life], co-eternal [ż. e. of boundlefs duration in each of them].

7. SUCH [in refpect of all the following divine Attributes] as the Father is, fuch is the Son and fuch is the Holy-ghoft.

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8. THE Father, uncreate; the Son, uncreate: and the Holy-ghoft, uncreate [for all three fubfift in the one only felf-exiftent all-perfect unchangeable Being].

9. THE Father, incomprehenfible [i. e. boundlefs in perfection; and omniprefent to boundless space conftituted by God's omniprefence]; the Son, in comprehenfible; and the Holy-ghoft incomprehenfible.

10. THE Father, eternal [i. e. of boundless-duration]; the Son, eternal: and the Holy-ghoft eternal.

11. AND yet they are not three eternals [in refpect of fubftantial Being]: but one eternal [there being but one abfolute boundless duration, conftituted by the neceffary self-existence of the one ailperfect Being].

12. As alfo there are not three incomprehenfibles, nor three uncreated: but one uncreated, and one incomprehenfible [substantial Being].

13. So likewife the Father is almighty; the Son, almighty and the Holy-ghoft, almighty.

14. AND yet they are not three almighties; but one almighty [Being poffeffed of three perfonal-lives in most intimate union, as before explain'd].

15. So the Father is God [fupreme lawgiver and ruler over a willing people freely confenting to his dominion]; the Son is God: and the Holy-ghoft is God.

16. AND yet they are not three Gods [or feparate rulers] but one God [ruling, as a Father, his freely imitative obfervant fons].

17. So likewife the Father is Lord [abfolute ruler over fuch as do not willingly fubmit to his domi

nion];

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